The new Statistics and Psychometrics Core (SPC) for the University of Kentucky's Center for Drug Abuse Research Translation (CDART) grew out of demand for quantitative services provided previously in the Administrative Core. The SPC will expand and formalize the roles of the statisticians and methodologists with whom CDART investigators and graduate student / postdoctoral researcher trainees have collaborated for years. The functions fulfilled by these statisticians and methodologists will include: (i) consultation on study design and data analysis, ranging from discussions at CDART committee and project meetings to one- on-one / small-group assistance provided in person and through electronic correspondence;(ii) direct performance of data analysis, both cross-sectional and longitudinal, that apply appropriate statistical methodology requiring special expertise in statistical computing or conversance with mathematically technical concepts relevant to prevention scientists;(iii) co-authorship on manuscripts presenting new scientific findings, entailing not only preparation of narrative for data analysis directly performed but also broader oversight of manuscript content to ensure lucidity and technical accuracy;(iv) outreach to the larger prevention, psychological, and neurobehavioral research communities through co-organization of a workshop for a national audience and manuscripts acquainting investigators with state-of-the-art methodology;(v) instruction to trainees on data analysis and statistical computing, both through scheduled methodology for one-on-one / small-group assistance provided in person and through electronic correspondence;and, (vi) assistance in psychometric evaluation and development of measurement instruments, including both self-report questionnaires and behavioral tasks.
The Statistics and Psychometrics Core will provide quantitative expertise to center investigators in order to fulfill it's basic mission, which is to facilitate the translation of basic research findings into the practice of drug abuse prevention.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 169 publications
